The Hard Rubber Orchestra is a jazz band led by composer and trumpeter John Korsrud in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1990, it has a shifting membership of 15-30 musicians. It is known for spotlighting work by contemporary composers and won the Alcan Performing Arts Award in 2004.
History
The Hard Rubber Orchestra was founded in 1990 by John Korsrud. It had instrumentation similar to a big band, but the music was "an unholy mashup of minimalism, free jazz, noise, and funk".[1]
In 1992, a non-profit "Hard Rubber Music Society" was created as a vehicle for funding the orchestra. It operates with a mix of private donations, city funding, and Canada Council grants.[2][3]
Notable commissions
The Hard Rubber Orchestra is characteristically open to new music. It has commissioned over 40 works from 30 contemporary jazz and classical composers.[4] Here are some highlights.
- John Korsrud, Giorgio Magnanensi, and Brad Turner contributed original compositions to the February 2005 multidisciplinary theatre piece, Enter/Exit.[5][6]
- Ice Age 2010, where the Hard Rubber Orchestra played pieces by Peter Hannan, Brad Turner, Tony Wilson, and Bill Runge, while dancers and ice skaters performed on a hockey rink, was part of the Cultural Olympiad festival which accompanied the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.[7]
- Linda Bouchard, and Scott Good (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra composer-in-residence), contributed compositions to the Hard Rubber Orchestra's 20th-anniversary concert on May 14, 2011.[1]
- Kenny Wheeler composed a 30-minute piece, which the orchestra premiered in Vancouver on October 19, 2013. The orchestra was joined by trumpeter Mike Herriott, singer Christine Duncan, and trombonist Hugh Fraser as conductor.[8]
- Darcy James Argue composed Tensile Curves, a 30-minute work funded by the Canada Council, which was premiered in Vancouver by the orchestra on 20 June 2014, in a joint concert with Argue's Secret Society[9].
- Darcy James Argue later composed Ebonite, which the orchestra premiered in Vancouver on May 25, 2019[10].
- At the same May 25, 2019 concert, the orchestra also premiered Source Code by Harry Stafylakis[10].
- Marianne Trudel composed Nature Speaks: 8 Haikus, which the orchestra premiered in Vancouver on October 15, 2019[11].
- John Hollenbeck composed two pieces, Sighs and Owt Shgis, which the orchestra premiered in Vancouver on May 27, 2023[12].
Notable collaborations
- The orchestra was the on-camera backing band for the CBC special, Cantata for the King, which aired on 3 March 2005[13]. It was "a post modern musical celebrating the music and genius of the King of Rock and Roll", Elvis Presley. It featured punk artist Joe Keithley, soprano Robin Driedger-Klassen, and actor Kevin McNulty.
- On 9 May 2015, the orchestra featured composer Christine Jensen and her sister, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, at a concert launching the orchestra's album Crush, and celebrating its 25th anniversary[14].
Awards
In 2004, the Hard Rubber Orchestra won the C$60,000 Alcan Performing Arts Award. This funded their February 2005 work, Enter/Exit, a multidisciplinary theatre piece featuring compositions by John Korsrud, Giorgio Magnanensi, and Brad Turner. Videographers HoneyBee Visuals, set designer Andreas Kahre, and director Kim Collier also contributed.[5]
Their album Cruel Yet Fair was a Juno Award nominee for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the Juno Awards of 1999.[15]
Their album Iguana was a Juno Award nominee for Instrumental Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023.[16]
References
- ^ a b Varty, Alexander (8 November 2010). "Hard Rubber Orchestra celebrates 20 years with its greatest hits". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ "Hard Rubber New Music Society". Hard Rubber Orchestra. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Andrews, Marke (27 June 2013). "Vancouver-based Hard Rubber Orchestra embraces tough challenges". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2025-03-04. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Hard Rubber Orchestra". Hard Rubber Orchestra. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ a b Smith, Janet (4 March 2004). "Prize Lets Rubber Stretch Out". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Varty, Alexander (24 February 2005). "Hard Rubber Enters a Rave New World". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Varty, Alexander (17 March 2010). "The Hard Rubber Orchestra's Ice Age 2010 hits the rink with athletes". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Varty, Alexander (30 October 2013). "Hard Rubber Orchestra fetes composer Kenny Wheeler". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Varty, Alexander (11 June 2014). "Hard Rubber Orchestra changed Darcy James Argue's outlook". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Hard Rubber Orchestra with the New York Heavies". Hard Rubber Orchestra. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Hard Rubber Orchestra with Marianne Trudel". Vancouver Civic Theatres. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Varty, Alexander (20 May 2023). "Composer and percussion master John Hollenbeck works Hard Rubber Orchestra's many colours in new commission". Stir. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Cantata for the King". IMDB. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ Varty, Alexander (11 May 2015). "John Korsrud's Hard Rubber Orchestra remains as uncategorizable as ever". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Past Nominees + Winners". Juno Awards. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
- ^ "Here are all the 2023 Juno nominees". CBC Music, January 31, 2023.
External links
- "Hard Rubber Orchestra". Hard Rubber Orchestra. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- "Hard Rubber New Music Society". Hard Rubber Orchestra. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- Couture, François. "Artist Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
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